Love Kills
by darkestpowers-hp-46
Summary: Starts when Simon and Chloe kiss, but Liam and Ramon show up a little earlier than they did in the book, which provides one or two major difficulties on Simon's part. Rated T. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my first fanfic, so I hope you like it! I would appreciate any reviews, and constructive criticism would be helpful. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkest Powers trilogy.**

Chloe's POV

_His face lowered to mine and I knew what was coming. I knew it. But when his lips touched mine I still jumped. _  
_"S-s-sorry. I-I-" _  
_"Skittish as a cat." he murmured. His hands slid to the back of my neck and he tilted my head up. "If I'm moving too fast-" _  
_"N-no." _  
_"Good." He kissed me again, and this time I didn't jump. I didn't flinch. I didn't gasp. I didn't do anything. Simon kissed me, and I just stood there, like someone cut the cord between my brain and my muscles. Finally, the connection caught, and I did kiss him, but awkwardly, some part of me still holding back, my gut twisting, like I was doing something wrong, making a huge mistake, and- Simon stopped. For a moment, he hovered there, face above mine, until I had to look away. _  
_"Wrong guy, huh?" he said, his voice so soft I barely caught it. _  
_"Wh-what?" He eased back, and his eyes went blank, unreadable. _  
_"There's someone else," he said. Not a question. A statement. _  
_"S-someone? A boyfriend, you mean? From before? No. Never. I wouldn't-"_  
_"Go out with me if there was. I know." He took another step back, the heat of his body fading, the chill of the night air moving in. "I don't mean a guy from before, Chloe. I mean one from now." I stared at him. Now? Who else? There was only one other guy- _  
_"D-derek? You think..." I couldn't finish. I wanted to laugh. _You think I like Derek? Are you kidding?_ But the laugh wouldn't come. Just this thundering in my ears, breath catching like I'd been smacked in the chest. "Derek and I arent-" "No, not yet. I know." "I-I don't..." Just say it. Please let me say it. I don't like Derek. But I didn't. Couldn't._

So I just stood there, staring at my feet. "Simon, I-"  
A small laugh interrupted me. Confused, I looked up at Simon. He looked just as confused as me.  
"You really are a funny one, cutie." Liam. He stepped out of the trees, limping slightly. Soon after, a huge black wolf followed him, though it was more careful to stick to the shadows. At first, I hoped it would be Derek, but one look at the scars on the wolf's flank told me otherwise. It was Ramon. I froze, stiff with terror. The last time I met up with these particular werewolves, I had stabbed Liam in the leg, and he probably wasn't happy.

Simon stepped in front of me, hands raised, as if he were surrendering to the police. A growl cut him short. Ramon. Simon paled as he caught sight of the wolf at Liam's side. He dropped his hands, and swallowed thickly.  
"Who are you?" he asked. A fresh wave of fear went through me as I remembered that Simon had never met Liam and Ramon. Liam's gaze turned to Simon, but the smirk remained.  
"Liam. This is my buddy, Ramon." he gestured to the wolf beside him. "Pleasure." he added sarcastically.  
"What do you want?" Simon continued. I mentally willed him to stop asking questions. He was just going to get us into more trouble. Luckily, Liam ignored him, and turned back to me, his smirk now gone, and replaced by a wry smile. I met his gaze, his eyes so intense, I thought he could see right through me. Then again, he wouldn't see much. Just an increddibly depressed tennage girl, having gone through her first unofficial break-up, willing him to look away and let her go home. But, of course, he wouldn't. He was a werewolf, and looking him in the eye was a challenge...and the biggest mistake I've ever made, which is saying quite a lot, actually.

I tore my gaze away, and Liam's smirk returned.  
"What are you doing in the forest cutie? Without the mutt to protect you?" he asked, saying the last sentence in mock concern. I opened my mouth to reply, but Simon answered for me. "I'm here, aren't I?" I felt my heart swell. Typical Simon.  
"Oh?" Liam teased.  
"Yeah." Simon answered, his voice trembling. Liam chuckled, and I clenched my teeth. _Leave it alone, Simon_, I willed.  
"Something funny?" he asked, faking innocense. Liam's chuckling stopped abruptly, and his gaze went cold, sending chills down my spine. He stepped forward, and I put a hand on Simon's shoulder. Surely, he's figured out that they're werewolves. If he hasn't, then he was in for a rude awakening. He gently brushed my hand off, and met Liam's eyes. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, his vioce chillingly quiet. Simon didn't respond, just stood frozen in place, and I wasn't quite sure he heard, so I answered for him. "N-no." I cursed my stutter, and drew in a deep breath, prepared to say the next line without it, but Liam's gaze landed on me, and I panicked. "I-it's n-n-not." I turned to Simon. "Right, S-simon."

Simon nodded, and his eyes lowered to the floor. "'Course. Sorry about that. Let's go, Chloe." I almost sighed with relief, as we cautiously turned our backs to Liam. We made it about five steps, before I heard a vicious snarl erupt from behind me. I wheeled to see Ramon charging towards me, teeth bared. I stood rooted to the ground as I stared into the mouth of my killer. Seconds before Ramon leapt, I felt a strong hand push me to the ground. Dazed, I look up to see Simon standing over me. Ramon's eyes flashed surprise, but he didn't stop. He lunged at Simon, and I could see the terror in Simon's eyes, even though his back was turned to me. He let out an agonising scream as Ramon's teeth sunk into his outstretched arm.

**A/N Well? What'd you thing? Is it okay? Pleeeeeeease review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Well, here's the second chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.**

Chloe's POV

There was nothing I could do. I hated feeling this useless, but unless a dead squirrel could get Ramon to let go of Simon's arm, I was. Completely and utterly useless. My eyes filled with tears as I looked at Simon, blood dripping down his arm in a thick, steady flow. I was startled by the sound of quiet breathing behind me, and I wheeled to find a pair of emerald green eyes. _'Finally'_ I thought. It was Derek. I was about to tell him how happy I was that he was here, but he dashed around me and ran towards Simon and Ramon, a loud growl escaping his throat. He leapt into action, his hands finding Ramon's throat. I heard a yelp, and Ramon was thrown backwards.

Simon fell to the ground, writhing in pain as his blood seeped onto the surrounding grass. I rushed over to him, cradling his head in my lap. His eyes were closed, but his eyelids were fluttering, and I could tell that he was struggling to keep conscious.

I threw his un-injured arm around my neck, and glanced at Derek. He was struggling to keep Ramon pinned to the ground, and I couldn't help but think of how out-matched he was. He was fighting a wolf. With teeth as long as my thumb and claws as sharp as knives. But I caught the look of determintation in Derek's eyes, and I remembered that he too was part wolf, and even though he lacked the teeth and claws at the moment, he was driven by what I knew he would classify as failure. Failure to protect his brother. His best friend. Even so, I hoped he would run if he had the chance, and I knew he wouldn't do that if me and Simon were still there.

There was still one thing stopping me, though. Liam was gone, and I knew he couldn't be far. Hopefully he would leave us alone. Gathering up all the strength in me, I tentatively pulled Simon along. I dragged him over a twig, and I heard a soft moan. It would have been better if he went unconscious. I swallowed my guilt and kept going. I pulled him until I was sure I couldn't hear the growls and yelps of Derek and Ramon fighting, and I gently set his arm back down. His eyelids weren't fluttering anymore. I rushed to check his pulse and heart-beat. Thankfully, he was still breathing.

I picked up his arm again, and looked around to find any indication of where I was going before I stopped. I couldn't see anything but the faint moonlight shining down on the trees. It was only then did I realise that I had no idea where the house was. Perfect. I considered climbing a tree, but quickly ruled out that possibility, because that meant leaving Simon alone on the ground. So I dragged him into a bush and squeezed in with him.

After about two minutes of just sitting there, I began to drift off, but quickly snapped my eyes open again. It was late, probably around midnight. I wondered if Tori noticed we were gone. I mean, it was sort of hard to miss. Simon normally bugs the living daylight out of her. And it wasn't hard to notice Derek missing, either. I sighed, and re-adjusted myself. If she had noticed, she wasn't doing anything about it.

"Nice hidin' spot, cutie." Liam's voice made my blood chill.

"L-l-leave me alone, L-liam." I stuttered out, only to be met with a smirk.

"Or what?" he teased. I squirmed, incredibly uncomfortable. That's when I saw the floating rock. It flew at Liam's head with record speed, and he fell to the floor, unconcious. I looked back at the rock, and realise that there was a person holding it. Well, a ghost. Liz.

"Thanks." I said to her. She just nodded, and shot a concerned look at Simon, reminding me why I was here in the first place.

"I'll explain later. Do you know which way the house is?"

She nodded. "Follow me."

I draped Simon's arm around my shoulder once again. Once I was out of the bushes, Liz walked in front of me, scouting the way while leading me to the house.

Once we reached the house, I rushed Simon inside, but not before genuinely thanking Liz. I found Andrew in the kitchen, and quickly told him what happened. He quickly took Simon up to his bedroom, and shooed me away when I followed. So I went back to my room, feeling guilty. I know it wasn't my fault that Simon stepped in front of me, but I can't help but think that if I had been less cowardly and moved out of the way, Simon would still be safe. I had to tell myself that he probably would have ended up injured anyway, even if I didn't believe it. I flopped onto my bed, feeling exhausted and drained. I told myself to calm down, that Simon would be okay. And part of me believed it. But it was the same part that instantly believed Derek when he shoved the word necromancer in my face. It was the same part that fell for the doctors' lie when they told me I was schizophrenic, even though all the odds were against it. It wasn't the rational part of me.

"Back so early?" Tori's voice was full of sarcasm, and it snapped me out of my thoughts instantly.

"Huh?" I asked, glancing at the darkness outside of the window.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"I-"

"Do you know how worried I was?!"

"Tori, Simon an I-"

"I don't care what you and Simon were doing! You should have been home HOURS ago!" I felt my cheeks heat up as I realised what she thought I was about to say. I was

thinking about telling her what _actually _happened, but I could tell that she didn't want to be interrupted, so I let her continue.

"I thought something horrible happened to you! No offense, but Simon isn't that much protection, and you surely can't stand up for yourself-"

"I can so!"

She snorted. "Not counting this time, because you know _I_ wouldn't hurt you."

I muttered something about not being so sure, and she punched my arm playfully.

"See?" I pointed out, earning myself a glare. Realising that she was done telling me off, I started my story.

"There were werewolves."

Her head snapped up. "'What?!'"

"Derek and I bumped into them once. You and Simon were on the bus. We got off because he had to Change, remember?" She nodded. "Well, they showed up again. Simon, well, he was being Simon, and they got really annoyed. One of them was a wolf, so he attacked us."

Her eyes widened. "OMG! Are you okay?!"

I nodded. "But Simon...got bitten. He passed out."

I was shocked to see genuine concern flash in her eyes.

"Where...where is he now?" I could tell by her voice that she was scared I had left him behind.

"With Andrew." I said quickly, and she breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing for a moment before the concern danced in her eyes again.

"What about Derek?" My jaw almost dropped. I guess she must have seen my reaction, because she quickly changed her expression to her normal one- an expression that said 'Mess with me and you're dead'. "I have a heart, you know." she snapped. I nodded.

"He was fighting the wolf. I think he'll be fine, though."

Satisfied with my answer, she settled on my bed beside me.

"Well, I know now is really not the time, but I have to know. Other than all of that, how'd it go?" her eyes gleamed with amusement.

"How'd what go?" I was confused. Simon's bleeding about a gallon a minute, and Derek's fighting with a wolf. The night actually couldn't get any worse.

"Your _date_! How'd it go?" I had completely forgotten that I was on a date with Simon before the whole episode took place. I had also completely forgotten that he practically broke up with me, claiming that I had feelings for Derek.

"H-h-he broke up w-with me." I mumbled, barely pronouncing the words properly. Unfortunately, Tori still caught them. I had expected her to laugh, though. Ask me if I was really that bad to be around. Tease me. But she didn't. Insted, she looked at me with sympathy, yet another emotion I never thought Tori was capable of showing.

"Why?"

"Um...well..." I stalled.

"C'mon, Chloe. You can trust me."

"W-w-well, he t-thinks t-t-t-that I like D-d-der-"

"DEREK?! He thinks you like Derek?!" She looked at me, and her expression changed from outraged to incredibly shocked in a split second.

"What?" I snap.

"You do." she said, her voice barely audible. She grinned widely, and I was on the verge of asking her what on earth was so funny. "You do." she says, louder this time.

"'What?' No! I-I-I really d-don't."

She smirked. "Sure you do."

My cheeks flamed out of embarrasment as well as anger. She just laughed.

"Tori! I-"

I was interrupted by a gentle knocking at the door. Both me an Tori jumped.

"Who is it?" she called.

"Andrew." a voice called back.

"Come in. It's open."

Andrew quietly opened the door, and wordlessly sat on Tori's bed, opposite us.

"H-h-how's S-simon?" I ask.

"Well, he's concious. He's asking for you, actually. You can go see him afterwards." His face hardened. "But there _is_ some bad news." He paused, but no one said anything, so he continued. "You see, when a werewolf's saliva gets into your bloodstream..." he trailed off, probably hoping one of us would finish for him. Tori was getting impatient. However, those words did remind me of something. When Derek was cleaning the blood off of me. Liam's blood. He had said that if I got the saliva in my blood stream...No. That's not possible. Derek was confused.

"What's wrong with Simon?" Tori demanded, her voice full of anger. Andrew turned his gaze to her, full of sorrow and sympathy.

"He...he's a werewolf."

**A/N Pleeeeeeeeeeease review! I'm begging you! Constructive criticism would be nice too, just please don't be too mean about it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Okay people, I am BEGGING you! Please, please, please, PLEASE review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.**

Chloe's POV

My heart skipped a beat. No matter what Simon thinks, I like _him_, not Derek.  
_Then why couldn't you say so?_  
Unable to answer my own question, I turned my attention back to Andrew.

"...but he'll have to get stitches."

"S-sorry, what w-was th-th-that?"

"I said that he's fine, other than that, but he'll have to get stitches." he turned his sorrowful smile to me.

"B-but we can d-do that here, r-right?"

"Of course."

A door slammed, and I jumped about a foot in the air. Even before I heard the heavy breathing, I knew who it was. And, apparently, so did Andrew.

"I guess I'll have to tell him, too." he muttered. He stood to leave, but paused by the door, his expression pleading. As I searched his face, I found a hint of fear. He was afraid to tell Derek about Simon. I got to my feet.

"I-i-i'll tell him." I said. He nodded his agreement, and I left.

I found Derek at the foot of the stairs. When he saw me, he paused.

"Where's Simon?" his bloodied face was dark with concern.

"He's in Andrew's room." I managed without stuttering.

"Is he okay?" he asked. I considered saying 'Yeah, he just needs stitches', and letting him find out about the werewolf thing for himself, but one look at him told me not to. He was limping slightly, and his clothes were ripped in multiple places. You could barely see his skin through all the blood. I could only hope that some of it was Ramon's. Yet, even in his current state, he was worried about his brother. The least I could do is tell him the truth. So I did.

"H-he's fine. A-a-andrew says that he need stitches...and...um...he's a w-w-werewolf." I hated being so blunt about it, but there was really no other way to say it. A brief wave of shock passed over his face, but he seemed to remember that Simon was bitten by a werewolf, and his expression turned as sorrowful as Andrew's, maybe a bit more so.

"Can I see him?" his voice was barely louder than a whisper, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"S-sure. I w-was just a-a-about to g-go. W-want to c-come with me?" He nodded, and we walked upstairs together.

Simon's POV

I heard them coming up the steps. I smelled them too. Derek and Chloe. And blood. Lots of blood. I recognised them almost instantly, even though I had never smelled them before. Well, of course not. That would be weird. I heard them stop by the door. Chloe pushed it open just a bit. Seeing I was awake, she stepped in, and Derek followed her. His emotions have never been more open. He looked so sad, so guilty. I wanted to comfort him. Tell him it wasn't his fault. Chloe looked guilty, too, but she made a greater attempt to hide it.

"A-a-are you o-o-okay, S-simon?" she stuttered. I smiled.

"Sure. Once I get stitches, I'll be perfectly fine. You know, being a werewolf isn't that bad." Derek snorted, and my smile grew.

"G-g-good." she said. After that, silence fell. An awkward one, too. I wished I could get up and give them both a hug. Or at least start a conversation.

"So, uh, where's Tori?" I finally managed. They both looked relieved, and Chloe smiled a little.

"In our room with Andrew. I think it was the first time she looked so concerned...well, in front of me, at least." She glanced at Derek. "The second time was when I told her you were fighting a wolf." Huh. She cares. Good to know. Another silence fell, and I noticed that they were both still standing by the door. I pushed myself up with one arm so that I was sitting, and shuffled over a bit, making room for them. They still stood there.

"Well? Come sit!" I grinned. Chloe smiled, and walked over to sit beside me. Derek stayed put for a few seconds though, sniffing the air. I guess it bugged him that I was a werewolf, but he eventually sat on the other side of me.

"You've lost a lot of blood." he murmured.

"So have you." I countered. He glared at me, and I shrugged. "It's true." I took a breath, and overwhelming scents flooded over me. Derek's blood was the strongest, though. I closed my eyes and inhaled again, trying to get past the metallic scent to Chloe's more comforting one. When I opened my eyes, Chloe's head was cocked slightly to one side, her eyes darting between me and Derek.

"I finally see the resemblance between you two." she teased. I laughed. Derek glared at her, though, and I felt a sudden sense of anger surging through me. A low growl rumbled in my chest, and for a split second, I wanted to rip his head off, but I cut it short, surprised. They both stared at me as if I had just grown a second head or something. I sighed.

"Sorry, bro. I-"

"No problem." He smiled, but it was forced and I saw the sadness in his green eyes. Luckily, I heard footsteps pounding around the corner, and soon, Tori flew through the open door, her eyes searching my face before moving on to Derek's.

"Are you okay?" she asked. I could tell the question was directed at both of us, but Derek kept silent.

"I'm fine." I told her.

"Come sit." Chloe said, inching closer to me to make room for Tori. She quickly sat down, glancing at me and Derek every so often.

"Well, someone looks worried." I joked.

"You almost got your arm ripped off, and wolf-boy over there looks like he just took a bath in a tub of blood. Who wouldn't be worried?" she snapped. I lifted my one hand in a surrendering motion.

"No need to get snappy." I said, earning myself an intense glare.

"I don't even know why I came here-" she started.

"I do. You care about us." I cut her off, my voice mockingly sincere. Tori opened her mouth to say something, but Chloe cut in.

"And that's a good thing. So before _somebody_ ends up with his other arm injured, I say we drop it."

"Not a chance. I'm a werewolf now, remember." I smirked at Tori, and again, she opened her mouth to say something, but again, someone cut in. It was Derek this time.

"Which is why you should drop it." he said sharply. I know how he felt about stuff like that. After all, he did end up in a group home for accidentally crippling a kid. I said nothing, and no one else did either. The room was enveloped in yet another awkward silence.

"Well, um, I'm going to take a shower." Derek rumbled, before getting up and briskly walking out of the room. Tori muttered something about no-one caring about her being here, and stormed off. That left me alone with Chloe. A wave of joy rushed over me, but I quickly saw the look of sadness on her face, and my mind rushed back to the forest, when I had kissed her. After I accused her of liking Derek, her face bore the same expression. I had wanted to take my words back, and tell her I was sorry, that I knew they weren't true. But they were. And she couldn't argue, because she knew they were. But my gut still twisted at the thought of not having her with me. She must have known what I was thinking, because she spoke up softly.

"Can we still be friends?"

I smiled sadly. "I would like that." I told her. She smiled too, and threw her arms around my neck, careful not to touch my injured arm. She quickly pulled away, though, her face bright red.

"S-s-sorry." Before I could respond, she continued. "I-I'm going to find T-tori." And with that, she rushed out the door. I would have to fix this later. They were all too awkward around me. I sighed, and lay back down, trying to figure out how to get past the still lingering scent of Derek's blood in order to think.

**A/N Well? What'd you think? PLEASE REVIEW! Anyway, that chapter was really fun to write...I'll try to update within the next week, but I'm begging you to review! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter! I had major writer's block. Oh, and to answer the question 'Is this going to be a chlerek', Derek and Chloe will end up together in the end, but this story is more about Simon and Chloe.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Darkest Powers.

Simon's POV

After they all left, I quickly settled back down into bed. I was beginning to feel light-headed again. The bandage on my arm was soaked through with blood. I briefly wondered if it was a good idea to jump in front of Chloe, but the thought of her having to go through this instead of me made me more sick that the smell of my own blood. A gentle rapping on the door made me jump.

"Come in." I called, hoping for Derek or Chloe. Instead, Andrew walked in.

"How are you feeling, Simon?" Andrew asked.

"I'm doing okay. Are you here to do the stitches?" Andrew nodded, and stepped forward to unwrapp my bandage. I caught a glimpse of my wound, and it made me head even lighter. The blood gushed, but I could still see the deep cut. Part of my flesh was missing too, by the looks of it. And the smell...the smell was disgusting. I hoped it wasn't infected. I could tell that Andrew was grossed-out too, although he tried hard to hide it. He wordlessly cleaned the blood off of my arm, dissinfected it, and then began stitching. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. In fact, I barely felt anything at all, except for the gentle tug of the thread when he pulled it through. Soon, he was finished, and my arm looked a whole lot better. He wrapped another bandage around it, and stood.

"There we go. All done." he said, satisfied.

"Can I get out of bed now?" I asked, annoyed at having been cooped up all day. Andrew hesitated before nodding.

"Sure," he said. "Just don't go outside." I nodded.

"Of course not."

I stood up, and instantly felt blood rush to my head. The world began to spin slowly. I quickly steadied myself, hoping that Andrew didn't notice. Luckily for me, his back was turned, so I re-focused on moving. It wasn't that hard, once I got past the dizzyness. I heard the water from the shower shut off, so that meant Derek was done. I decided to go find him. He seemed kind of unnerved at the fact that I was now a werewolf. I found him pacing our room, running his hands through his hair nervously.

Derek's POV

This is not happening. This is not possible. Simon is not a werewolf. It was not my fault. But it was. This is happening, apparenlty it is possible, Simon is a werewolf, and it is all my fault. I could have been outside much, much earlier. I could have stopped Liam and Ramon. I could have saved my brother. But I didn't. I didn't, and now he was paying the price. I would have to watch my brother turn into a wolf. Watch him go through agonizing pain as his bones shifted. All because I was late.

"Um...bro? Calm down." I jumped at the sound of his voice. I hadn't heard him walk in.

"Calm down?" I snapped. "You're a _werewolf_, Simon. This is serious."

"You think it's your fault, right?" he ignored my reprimanding.

"It was." I mumbled, forgetting about his newly enhanced senses.

"No, it wasn't. You weren't there. What could-"

"Exactly." I cut him off. "I wasn't there."

"Jeez, bro, I was on a date. What, did you want to stalk me for the rest of my life?"

"If it would have kept you safe." I answered honestly, even though it was a little creepy. And, believe it or not, Simon laughed. He _laughed_. Right then and there. As if he didn't just get stitches, as if he hadn't been bitten by a werewolf, as if 'he' weren't a werewolf. I forced myself to stay calm. He must have noticed how tense I was, because he struggeled to stop laughing.

"Lighten up, bro. I'm not dead, am I?"

"No, but you've been-"

"Bitten by a werewolf. I got that part. But reality is, it happened. And unless you can turn back time, we're just going to have to learn to live with it."

He was right. Still, I promised myself that from that moment on, failure would not be a part of my dictionary. I will not fail to protect him, or Chloe, or even Tori again.

**A/N Sorry. Horrible ending. I know. Also, that was a pretty short chapter, so sorry about that, but, like I said before, I had writer's block. And sorry if Simon was a little bit OOC. I always have trouble with bold and funny characters. But other than that, what did you think? Amazing? Okay? Terrible? So awful you never want to hear the name again, and if you do , you might throw up? Please, please, please, PLEASE review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Sorry for taking forever to update. This is sort of just a fill-in chapter, so it shouldn't have taken me so long, but I'm sorry. Personally, I found this chapter the hardest to write, because nothing big actually happens.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Darkest Powers.**

_(Two weeks later) _  
_Simon's POV_

I woke to the sound of running water. Probably Derek taking a shower. I pushed myself up, eyeing my alarm clock. 8:11 AM. I rolled out of bed and threw on some jogging pants and a sweatshirt before heading outside. I heard the T.V. playing, so I went downstairs into the living room. Chloe and Tori were watching a movie. Well, Chloe was watching it. Tori was asleep. I walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, and when she spotted me, filled with rage. She caught me in a binding spell before I could do anything. Chloe finally tore her eyes away from the screen to look at us, before shaking her head and turning back to the movie. But Tori wasn't done yet. Nope, she had to yell.

"SIMON, YOU IDIOT! I WAS ASLEEP!"

I winced as the sound filled the room and Tori smirked. Chloe looked at us again, and sighed.

"Tori, let him go." she pleaded. "I want to watch my movie."

Tori snorted. "Yeah, like you haven't seen it about a million times before."

Chloe turned slightly pink before responding. "That's because it's good."

Tori rolled her eyes, but I wasn't binded anymore. "See? Binding me wasn't necessary." I muttered, earning a glare from Tori. She raised her hands, sparks flying, so I retreated to the kitchen, deciding to make myself a sandwhich.

_Chloe's POV_

As soon as Simon left, Tori sat back down, glancing at the screen for about five seconds before turning to me.

"What movie is this?"

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to watch it, you know."

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"No, just trying to finish the movie." I turned my attention back to the screen, only to find the credits already rolling. "Nevermind." I muttered. It was a horrible movie. I could see how Tori fell asleep. There was no climax, but I still enjoyed deciphering the scenes, as always. I took the DVD out of the DVD player just as Simon walked in with a sandwhich.

"The movie's over?" he asked. I nodded, and he pouted. "I missed it?" I nodded again. He sat down and took a bite out of his sandwhich.

"Simon?" Andrew called, poking his head into the room. Simon looked at him silently, his mouth full of food. "I need to remove your stitches."

Simon swallowed. "Can I finish eating first?"

Andrew nodded and walked back to his office. "Come find me once you're done." he called over his shoulder.

Simon's POV

I knocked on Andrew's office door, and he called me in. I sat on a wooden chair, and he spun around to face me.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded, not sure why he was making such a big deal of removing my stitches. He unwrapped the old, blood-stained one, and searched through his first-aid kit for more. Before he re-wrapped it, I caught a glimpse of the cut. It still covered my entire arm, but it wasn't nearly as bad. The scar was now a thin white line, and it didn't hurt anymore. It had healed really quickly.

Derek's POV

I piled another piece of lasagna onto my plate and dug into it. I was done quickly, but I decided to leave the rest for Simon. He looked just about as hungry as I felt. Besides, there was only one piece left. I leaned back in my chair, and looked around the table. Tori was picking at her piece, claiming she had to 'watch her figure'. She didn't quite seem to understand that she might need energy later on. I'd given up trying to tell her that, though. If she feels like starving herself, who am I to stop her?

Chloe was already done, and was sitting with her legs crossed, and her hands on top of one another. She too was looking around. When she caught sight of Tori's un-eaten piece, she began to coax her to eat more. Simon was also done, but he was looking between the last piece of lasagna and me. I nodded to him, and he grinned before scoping it up and devouring it quickly. Once everyone was done, I rose and put my dishes in the sink. Chloe followed my lead, Simon closed behind with Tori behind him, a piece of lasagna still on her plate. She opened the compost bin, and I stopped her, taking her plate and finishing off her lasagna. She stared at me for a while, before shaking her head and looking away. Oh well. Not everyone has to be anorexic just because she is. I set her plate down in the sink and headed to my room.

Tori's POV

If I had to describe Andrew's house with one word, I woulnd't need to think twice: Boring. Which meant that I turned to Chloe a lot for company. She never complained,

because she always found something to do. As hard as I tried to follow her example, I still found myself wandering aimlessly. Eventually, I found myself back in my room. Chloe was already there, along with Simon and Derek.

"Hey, Tori. We were just talking." Chloe informed me.

I nodded, sitting on my bed next to Simon.

"Have a nice walk?" he teased, and I smacked his arm. The un-injured one. He just stared at me, smirking. Stupid werewolf strength. I huffed and turned back to Chloe.

She was sitting on her bed, playing with her hair. Derek was beside her, pinching the bridge of his nose as Simon and I bickered. Well, at least some things were back to normal...or as close to normal as we'll ever get.

**A/N Sorry again. That chapter was absolutely pointless, but the next one will be interesting. I will try to put the next chapter up as soon as possible. This chapter really doesn't have much to review, so I understand if I don't get a lot, but if you have time to kill, I would really appreciate some feedback. Thanks!**

**-darkestpowers-hp-46 (My new username)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Extremely sorry for not updating in months! I know, I'm a horrible fanfiction writer, and an extreme hypocrite because I love stories that get updates often. But who doesn't? Anyway, I was actually thinking about giving up on this story, but I got some positive reviews, and I was motivated to continue. So thanks to those of you who reviewed, and thanks to everyone who's still sticking with this story. Okay, before I start, a few of you asked if this was going to turn out a Chlerek, and it is. That's about it for now, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Darkest Powers or the characters.**

Derek's POV:

The next morning we were all irritable. I awoke to the warm, welcoming scent of dead cat, and so did Simon. Chloe woke up too, no surprise there, but even though the cat crawled over Tori to get to Chloe, the black-haired witch was still asleep. Which would've been funny, had there not been a dead cat walking around in the girls' room. So after I calmed Chloe down enough to get rid of it, I started yelling at her, which, in turn, woke Tori up. Simon, being the genius that he is, told her that a dead cat crawled over her in her sleep, unable to contain his laughter. My eardrums are still ringing from the scream that she gave, and I'm pretty sure Chloe's scarred for life, because Tori almost killed her with a lightning bold, before beginning the string of verbal insults, insisting that the cat was her fault. I couldn't stand her yelling, much less her yelling at Chloe, the gril who saved her life even after Tori almost killed her, so I told her off. Besides, what Chloe dreams of isn't her fault, right? Yeah, that line got me some weird looks and a mumbled 'Hypocrite' from Tori. Right at that moment, Andrew burst through the door, prepared to attack any potential danger that could've made Tori scream. To be honest, I wouldn't have bothered, because if I were Tori, I would've been screaming every time I looked in the mirror.

Anyway, he made us- and by us, I mean Chloe and I- bury the dead cat. So by the time I got back in, my hands covered in dirt, a few maggots and dead cat fur, sleep was the last thing on my mind. Way below getting something to eat. So that's what I did. I grabbed a few sandwhiches, Simon following suit, and went to the living room to attempt something even minutely close to a normal breakfast. As I turned on the TV, though, I noticed Simon's skin twitching ever so slightly. When I leaned in to inspect it further, he pulled his arm away and started scratching it. So at that point in time, although I was so worried I think I might've been hyperventilating, I couldn't help but think back to what I said to Chloe the day before Liz got transferred. And even though we weren't in Lyle House anymore, I think the sentence described us perfectly right then.

"Welcome to the madhouse."

Chloe's POV:

With half my day already spent burying- or rather, watching Derek bury- a dead cat, I decided I could really go for a movie. So I grabbed a bowl of cereal, and headed off to the living room, having already deciding that I was going to watch Silent Hill, if Andrew had it. When I reached the living room though, I was stopped short. Derek was staring at Simon, his face an open book for once. He was worried. It wasn't until I looked at Simon that I realised why. His muscles were moving under his skin, much like Derek's do when he's about to change. Simon was feverishly scratching his arm, hard enough to cause a little bubble of blood to surface. I don't think either of them noticed me there, so I walked in further.

"Y-y-you're going to C-change?"I asked, stuttering over my words in my worry.

Both of their heads snapped in my direction. Derek nodded.

"W-when?"

Simon shrugged, trying to look casual. "Tonight?"

Derek nodded again. "Most likely." He tried for a blank expression, but his voice was unusually quiet, and his eyes clouded.

It didn't really help Simon, who was now off the couch, pacing back and forth.

"I'm not going to survive, am I?"

"Of course you are." Derek snapped, making me jump. Simon kept pacing.

"Yes, I am. There's no point denying it. I'm going to-"

"No, you're not!"

Simon stopped pacing, and turned to face Derek. I could see the unshed tears in his eyes, and the fear that masked his features.

"You're a great brother. You've always been there for me, protected me, helped me out. But you can't do anything about this."

Without another word, he turned and left, his footsteps leading up the stairs. I swore I saw tears in Derek's eyes, and I knew that what Simon said was killing him. Not the part about him being a great brother, but the fact that he couldn't do anything to help. He was going to have to sit back and watch his brother, his best friend, his only friend go through the most painful thing imaginable, and all the facts showed that he wasn't going to make it out alive.

**A/N Sorry it's kind of short, I wanted to save the Change for the next chapter, and I didn't really feel like describing Simon scratching his arm for the rest of my life. I'll try to update soon, but please don't murder me if I don't. September's almost here, so I'm going to be a bit pre-occupied with school and stuff, but I'll try. Thanks again for reading! I'm begging you: PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's just one word, it really makes my day.**

**-darkestpowers-hp-46**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N First off, I just really wanted to shout out to shovelgirlERB000. She's been reviewing frequently, which is really helpful and motivating. Thanks to everyone else who reviewed as well as those of you who followed this story :) This chapter is where the real drama begins *Cue dramatic music*...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Darkest Powers or the characters**

Chloe's POV

That night, none of us slept. None of the kids, that is. Andrew was in bed before 10, although Derek said that he usually doesn't go to sleep until after twelve. Which really put Simon in a bad mood. Derek was in a bad mood, too. Tori wasn't all too cheerful either. So it fell to me to lighten the mood. We were all sitting in the living room, the TV playing a soap opera that no one was watching. I poked Simon in the arm, trying to ignore his writhing muscles. He jumped up, before turning to scowl at me.

"What was that for?"

I gave a cheeky smile. "Fun."

He seemed to catch on to what I was trying to do, because he poked Derek.

"What?" Derek snapped.

Simon grinned, though anyone could see it was forced. "You've got the...uh, Chloe touch. You have to pass it on."

"No."

"Aww, come on. You always have to be the party pooper, don't you?"

"This isn't exactly the ideal time for a party, Simon."

Simon sighed, his grin fading. I struggled to think of something to say, but luckily Tori stepped in.

"How about we just go outside? The tension in here is so thick you could slice it with a butter knife, and I'm getting tired of just sitting here."

Surprisingly, she didn't say anything mean or condescending about any of us. Equally surprisingly, Derek and Simon agreed with her idea to go outside. So we did. Derek led the way, insisted on having me behind him and Simon behind me, and left Tori to pick up the rear.

Sometime during the walk, Simon started sweating. A lot. Derek dind't turn around, but he must have picked up on the smell, because he walked faster. Meaning that the rest of us had to jog in order to keep up with him. When we arrived at the clearing, he just stopped, and, being the idiot that I am, I plowed right into his back. To my credit, though, I wasn't the only one. Simon walked into me, and Tori walked into Simon with a half-hearted noise of disgust at his sweat.

Derek dragged Simon into the clearing and ordered him down onto all fours. That's where I came in. I knelt beside him and Derek, and all too soon, the convulsions started. He retched up the little food that he had in his stomach, and then started dry-gagging. He averted his face, just like Derek did, but I could imagine the pain in his eyes. I whispered encouraging words to him, like I did for Derek, but I couldn't help but notice how much more awkward it felt.

Derek's POV

I watched as Chloe comforted Simon, talking to him, re-assuring him. I watched, but I couldn't really see. Because seeing is believing, right? So if I didn't see my brother spending his last moments going through hell, then I could just pretend that the last thing he ever did was win that basketball tournament the day Dad dissappeared. Only I couldn't. I couldn't ignore the fact that he was right here in front of me, yet there was absolutely nothing I could do. I was a failure. Now, being a social failure, I could handle. Being a complete and utter failure in the department of appearences, I could also handle. Hell, I can even handle being a failed subject in a science experiment. But this was completely different. I wasn't just letting myself down this time. I was taking my brother down with me. One of the only two people I've ever opened up to. In _sixteen_ years. But none of that mattered anymore.

"Derek!"

Chloe's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I focused back into reality to see her ushering me over to where Simon was. I almost wanted to pretend that I couldn't see her, but not even I could be that shallow. So I got to my feet and trudged over to her, bracing myself for a sight of extreme blood and gore.

But Simon was fine. He was still on all fours, panting. I realised that this was the worst moment, that dreadful stage mid-change where you feel as though you'd rather die than have to go through that. So close to finishing. I could feel the hope swell in my chest as I claimed a spot next to Chloe.

"He's going to make it." I whispered to myself. I closed my eyes, and willed him, just be strong. Almost there. Just a few more-

_Crack_

I opened my eyes to a pool of blood. Coming from Simon.

"No." I croaked. "No! Simon, you can't just _die_!"

Hearing this, Tori ran over from her spot under a tree.

"What?! He's _dead_?!"

"No." I told her firmly.

Chloe was in tears, her eyes following something that I couldn't see.

"Yes." She whispered.

I looked at her sharply, unintentionally trying to intimidate her. Tori did too.

"Yes what?" I asked hesitantly, if not slightly roughly.

She tore her eyes away from whatever she was looking at, and scanned my face before moving on to Tori's. Just when I was about to hurry her up, she said the two words that made my heart stop.

"He's dead."

**A/N Please don't kill me.I know it's really sad and all, but Chloe will stil be able to see him. Sucks for Derek though. I feel kinda bad writing this, but it's already done anyways, so yeah. I know a lot of people are going to hate me, and I understand that...you're allowed to have an opinion too. Just, please, no flames. I'd like to hear what you have to say though, so review! :D And before anyone asks, I do not hate Simon, nor do I think he should have died in the books. I just wrote this for entertainment's sake, and the reason it wasn't detailed is because it's really hard to kill of someone who doesn't deserve to die, and I didn't really have time to make it perfect. Anyways, I'm saying it again: REVIEW...please :)**

**-darkestpowers-hp-46**


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